Pampsilota Konow, 1899

Basov, S. A., 2024, Illustrated key to the Palaearctic genera of the sawfly family Argidae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta), with taxonomic notes, Russian Entomological Journal 33 (4), pp. 466-476 : 472

Pampsilota Konow, 1899

Type species: Pampsilota afer Konow, 1899 .

Body size 5.3–15.3 mm. Eyes not convex, inner margins of eyes nearly parallel. Width of head slightly less than width of thorax. Antennae of males simple. Third segment of antennae distinctly compressed and expanded. Fore wings with 4 cells Rs; cell R closed; vein Sc present; vein 2r–m present; veins B and M join up at same point on vein R; cell 2A closed; upper margin of cell 3Rs almost 2.0 times as large as lower. All tibiae without preapical spurs. Saw sheath obtuse in lateral view, width at the base view almost 2.0 times its length in dorsal.

Representatives of the genus Pampsilota have a very large morphological diversity of genital structures, which raises doubts about the monophyly of the genus. Liston et al. [2017] suggested that Pampsilota might reasonably be treated as merely a species group within Arge .

The genus is distributed in the Palaearctic (East), Oriental and Afrotropical regions. Number of species: World — 8; Palaearctic — 2. Within the Palaearctic, members of Pampsilota have been found only in northern China. For a key to Afrotropical Pampsilota species, see Liston et al. [2017].